Record breaking Wales and Lions captain Alun Wyn Jones has been at the sharp end of rugby for 15 years, winning 160 Test caps to date and showing no sign of slowing up as he prepares to lead Wayne Pivac's team into autumn battle against New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. But is it also about perthyn - belonging, playing for Wales, working your way through the age-grades and the club matches and regional sides. What it takes to earn the right to be there, and what it feels like to make the sacrifices along the way. Feeling the bond to the great players not long gone, and feeling the ties to the millions in front rooms and pubs across the hillsides and the valleys, coast to coast. Knowing that deep down you just want to belong, be a part of it, as everyone does. Gatland has been delighted by the level of intensity in training. He named his starting XV on Wednesday, with Alun Wyn Jones returning as captain, and explained how those who have missed out have turned the heat up on the 23 selected. This is where the story of Alun Wyn Jones's journey begins, the story that every child who has dreamt of playing rugby for their country starts with. From the tightness in your stomach to the look on your team-mates' faces, the adrenaline starting to flow within.

A true warrior. He demands excellence from himself and others around him. He has had success and disappointment, joy and sadness. People think they know him but unless you read this book you will never know the REAL Alun Wyn Jones.' – Warren Gatland But is it also about perthyn– belonging, playing for Wales, working your way through the age-grades and the club matches and regional sides. What it takes to earn the right to be there, and what it feels like to make the sacrifices along the way. Feeling the bond to the great players not long gone, and feeling the ties to the millions in front rooms and pubs across the hillsides and the valleys, coast to coast. Knowing that deep down you just want to belong, be a part of it, as everyone does. Nor did he open the wine from team-mates, nor the bottle of whisky the WRU had also given him, in the dressing room afterwards. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us

But while Alun Wyn talks of being 'intensely proud deep down', his over-riding emotions at the time were 'immense disappointment that we lost'. Alun Wyn equalled and then broke New Zealand legend Richie McCaw's world caps record last autumn when playing first against against France in a friendly, then Scotland in the postponed Six Nations clash at Parc y Scarlets. My skin crawls at the idea of me elevating myself above the team. I felt a greater satisfaction in the combination of my Welsh caps and going past 240 appearances for the Ospreys," he points out.

With his 36th birthday approaching this weekend, he has put his many achievements into words in an autobiography ' Belonging, Alun Wyn Jones' which is published this week. Gatland also said that last week’s narrow defeat by South Africa A, which featured nine of the Springboks’ starters for this Saturday, demonstrated the Lions can cope with their opponents’ firepower. “We were very happy with our lineout, maul defence and in a couple of scrums towards the end we felt we really dominated,” added Gatland. “Whether they come with different variations, I don’t think so. I think they’ll come with a harder approach. It’s one aspect where I think we dented their ego, as they didn’t have the dominance in the areas they would have liked. Belonging is the story about how the boy left Mumbles and returned as the most capped rugby player of all time. It is the story of what it takes to become a player who is seen by many as one of the greatest Welsh players there has ever been. What it takes to go from sitting, crossed legged on the hall floor at school, watching the 1997 Lions Tour of South Africa to being named the 2021 Lions Captain.

Who is Anwen Jones?

But as a player and captain right at the coalface of Wales' greatest achievements over the past decade or so, the captain more than anybody else has been there, seen it and done it. Belonging is the story about how the boy from Mumbles became the most capped rugby union player of all time. It is the story of what it takes to become a man who is seen by many as one of the greatest ever Welsh players. What it takes to go from sitting cross-legged on the hall floor at school watching the 1997 Lions tour of South Africa, to being named the 2021 Lions captain. Alun Wyn comes across as a very private man and in general there are plaudits, rather than criticism, of individuals he has played with and against.

This is where the story of Alun Wyn Jones's journey begins, the story that every child who has dreamt of playing rugby for their country starts with. From the tightness in your stomach to the look on your team-mates’ faces, the adrenaline starting to flow within. Jones was initially left devastated after being ruled out of the tour but somehow managed to recover in just three weeks to captain the side in all three Tests against South Africa.Previously Wales hadn't lost at home to Scotland since 2002 and as such the skipper "didn't want to do a presentation on the pitch, smiling and waving a bottle around having been beaten at home." Dr Anwen Jones was speaking to S4C's Heno programme in a rare interview at the official launch of Jones' new autobiography, Belonging, in Swansea. On Jones' now famous Lions injury, which saw him dislocate his shoulder just seven minutes into a warm-up game against Japan, she admitted it had been a hectic time. Alun Wyn goes into forensic detail of what he had to do to make that remarkable recovery from a shoulder injury to lead the Lions in South Africa this summer.